One Sky
by Just Loves Music
Summary: While searching for a borrowed book, young Dominique Weasley comes across a stone in between two bushes. It has engraved on it: HERE LIES DOBBY A FREE ELF.


**One Sky**

On a sunny day in June, in the garden of Shell Cottage, Dominique Weasley was searching for the copy of Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland that she borrowed from her Uncle Charlie. She always thought the creatures were interesting and she finally got her uncle to trust her with his copy... and then she lost it! She didn't think he'd mind awfully much, but he'd be mad; it had his own notes in it as well.

She covered half the garden by the time the sun was setting, casting a blood orange color over the sky. She decided then that she didn't care if her favorite jean overalls were messy, so she started to crawl down in the bushes. It was a very unpleasant experience; she was poked and prodded by thorns, broken stems, and she hit her head on a stone! She sat up, rubbing her head, to glance at the stone. It was somewhat peculiar in the way it was standing, as if placed that way on purpose. She crawled out of the bushed to look at it from the front, in a clear space. Inscribed on it, in sloppy but familiar handwriting, was: HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF. Sudden realization took hold of Dom as she realized she was (probably) sitting on the poor elf's grave. She got up immediately, apologized to the head stone, and went inside.

That night at supper, Dom hardly ate her food. The ten year old was wondering and wondering about the grave. Why did they have a grave in their yard? Had dad killed someone? Was it a house elf waiting to be free? These are the questions that ran through her brain, trying to pinpoint an accurate theory. When her mother pointed out her lack of eating, she quickly switched gears to concentrate on her food.

When the meal was over, Victoire and Fleur cleaned the table while Bill and Dom put Louis to bed. While her father put the baby into the cradle the ginger thought it was the best time to ask.

"Dad?"

Her father turned. "Yeah?"

"Who's Dobby and why is he buried in our yard?" She was surely a blunt kid.

Bill's had a shock look on his face for a few seconds, but then it was gone as fast as it came. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I came across his grave, or at least what seemed like a grave, while looking for Uncle Charlie's book," she answered matter-of- fact like.

Bill rubbed his chin, a thinking gesture. "You lost hist book? He won't like that. It had a lot of important notes. Plus-"

"Stop avoiding the question, dad," Dom interrupted. He should know better than to use it on her. She practically learned it from him!

Bill sighed. "I just don't think it's something a ten-"

"Soon to be eleven"

"year old should know about," he finished.

"What does my age have to do with understanding what happened to this Dobby guy? Or his grave?" she asked, confused.

"Nothing, I just don't think your mature enough to handle it at this age."

"I'll have you know I'm very mature!"

"You set your sister's book on fire because she wouldn't take you to the beach," the man pointed out.

"One time! Besides, what does maturity have to do with knowledge?"

"It's how you handle that knowledge where maturity come in."

Dom opened mouth to retort when Victoire came in and asked why they were just standing there and if they were going to hurry up so that the could watch a movie on the T.V. At that moment Dom wished her sister had another book she could set aflame, but alas she hid them away after the first incident. A true Ravenclaw she was.

After that day, Dobby the free elf was all she thought about. Who was he? Or she? What was he/she like? Why is he/she six feet under in our yard? These were the questions that haunted her. But eventually other things took the occupation of her mind. Like her turning eleven and getting her Hogwarts letter, actually going to Hogwarts, getting sorted into Slytherin ("Fits me perfectly!"), making new friends, studying, etc. So many things started happening that the thoughts of Dobby the free elf were stored away for awhile. It's not like she forgot about him or anything; we never truly forget the people we encounter, before or even after death. Her mind was just busy with other things.

It wasn't til Christmas that year that she was again curious about the little guy. The entire Weasley clan came over for one night on vacation to celebrate to have a feast of their own. They enchanted the kitchen and rest of the house to fit everyone. Molly I, Fleur, and Charlie (who Dom finally returned his book to [eventually]) were in the kitchen preparing the meal. The rest of the adults were sitting in the couch, loveseats, and chairs around the room, talking about work, memories, the current happenings in their everyday lives, which wasn't as boring as one would think! The kids were playing wizard's chess, reading, or playing muggle games like something called Hide-and-Seek.

Dom was looking for a place to hide when she glanced out a window to see someone standing in their garden. Her first instinct was to get her dad or throw something at the man. Then she realized who it was: Uncle Harry. He was standing in the same spot she was sitting in front of months go. _He must know who Dobby is!_ Dom thought. _Now's my chance! _As inconspicuous as she could she sneaked out of the house. When she got outside she immediately wanted to return, it was so cold. But she kept questioning who the free elf was; she wanted answers and here was her chance. So she bit down her lower lip and ran to Harry.

He must have heard her coming because his head snapped to her direction. Shock and worried filled his features as she reached him.

"What are you doing out here without you coat?" he asked, shrugging his off to put onto her. She looked frozen. The coat dwarfed her. "Let's get you inside."

"No!" she snapped. Harry, once again, had a look of shock on his face. Harry knelt down to see her face.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I want to know who Dobby is!"

A look crossed over his face then that made Dom feel sad. It looked like a look of pain or loss. Harry then looked at her, with a very sad smile on his face.

"Dobby was a free elf who rescued me. He was a hero...who died for his friends...and for what was right," he stood up. "And though he deserved something much more...grand and better, we had his funeral and buried him here. That's all I can tell you at this point."

"Do you miss him, Uncle Harry?" Dom asked.

"Very much so." Dom thought she saw tears in his eyes which made her feel real guilty. She asked something she should not have, at least not to Uncle Harry.

"Well," she began, gears in her head turning, "you're both still under the same sky. Even...even if...he's gone, you'll still be together under this sky. One sky. And I think, wherever he is, he's happy about that." After the words left her mouth she wondered if any of it made any sense.

Harry smiled a small smile. "Yeah." He looked toward the house then he held out his hand. "Now let's go inside."

Dom took his hand. Together they walked inside, both thoughts on Dobby, the free elf. When inside, both were greeted with hot chocolate and welcomed to join a nice warm meal, that the others had finished preparing.

When each person had finished they all got ready to open presents. Dominique grabbed her coat, putting it on, and got a cup of hot chocolate in one of her mom's nice china, she added lots of marshmallows and some milk. When she was done she sneaked out the back door, wand in pocket, and went to Dobby's grave. She sat the cup in front of the tombstone and took out her wand. With so many wizards and witches there, there was no way to tell which one used magic. She said, "_Accio Blue-Green Scarf!_" In her previously free hand she caught her favorite blue-green scarf. She stuffed her wand back into her pocket and wrapped the scarf around the tombstone. Everything was in order.

She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Dobby."


End file.
